25 Tips to Take Your Business Seriously

1:00 PM

When you begin to treat your business like a business things start to shift. It’s really simple. If...

When you begin to treat your business like a business things start to
shift. It’s really simple. If you’re still treating your business like a
“hobby” or “side hustle” it will only ever be those things. Even if
your business isn’t exactly where you want or need it to be today you
can still treat it like it’s on its way to getting there. Just because
your business hasn’t reached the figure you want it to (yet!) doesn’t
mean you can’t treat it like it’s the next best thing since the dollar
section at Target. Here are the ways we treat our jobs like the big boss
they are.

Create SMART goals:
these allow you to hold yourself to something that is actually
achievable! Plus who doesn’t love checking all these things off as DONE.

Have a designated workspace:
it doesn’t matter if it’s a table in your living room corner or you
take over the extra bedroom. You need a place to stay organized, spread
out and get to work. (Read: 7 Key Ideas to Help You Run a Better Business)

Set office hours:
this is a tremendous help for all those people in your life who think
you can just chat all day. Set your hours and stick to them! Tell
friends and family, add them to your email footer, and put them on your
website. It’ll help you stay focused during work hours and “turn off”
afterwards.

Have a separate bank account:
how can you know what’s your businesses money if it’s mixed in with
grocery trips? Plus, this just helps the Tax Man and other legal stuff
be legit.

Keep track of your expenses:
do you know if you made more money last quarter than this one? What
about comparing Holiday seasons? You won’t be able to track this is you
aren’t keeping track of your income + expenses. Whether you use the old
fashion pen and paper, digital spreadsheet or a software you need to get
it organized.

Utilize contracts: it is
all too easy to get yourself in a pickle. If you are selling services
contracts can really save you time, headaches and money. It lays out the
scope and protects you from client retaliation if something were to go
south.

Send out invoices: this not only keeps billable clients organized but helps act as a receipt for both of your records.

Know your one sentence: I love Nasha’s tips for this one. Know your sentence that describes what you do in a way that leads conversations.

Quit working for free: it’s time you get out of the “portfolio building” phase and put dollars in your bank for what you do.

Invest in yourself: need some mindset shifts, accountability partner or cheerleader? Consider hiring a business coach to help you stay on track.

Invest in your business:
maybe there’s a book out there that can teach you selling strategies or
an e-course that can teach you how to master MailChimp. Learning from
the experts may costs money, but can save you loads of time and
patience.

Talk about what you do: there’s no reason to hide what you do! Talk about it, shout it, tell everyone and be proud.

Have a beautiful (and functioning) digital storefront:
there’s no magic level or certain amount you need to be selling or
bringing in before you worry about your digital storefront (i.e. your
website). The time is now.

Plan out your content:
whether you write a blog or just have social media accounts, tailoring a
plan not only will save you time, but give you a more holistic take on
your messaging, focus and calls to action.

Measure your success: It’s
hard to know where to spend your time if you don’t know what is
working. Make sure to check your analytics to see what posts are most
popular, where your traffic is coming from and what just isn’t working.
You might be surprised what you find.

Order business cards: you never know where or when you’ll run into a future client or customer so be prepared!

Ask for help:
we don’t expect you to be a pro at everything. Recognizing where you
might need some extra help is key to moving forward. Consider hiring out
things you don’t have time for or haven’t mastered.

Join a mastermind, networking group or creative club: having a support system can make all the difference! Find a group in
your area to start connecting.

Change what isn’t working:
is there a certain marketing strategy that costs big bucks but just
doesn’t work for you? Cut it out. Being in business is all about
learning from trial and error.

Give yourself a title: want to be called Boss Lady, Creative Director, CEO? Whatever makes you feel most legit go for it.

Order merchandise: there’s
nothing like seeing your logo on your notepad every day or on the mug
you drink from. Once you see a part of your business in real life like
that it changes things.

Pop up at must attend events:
be in your community. Snap amazing pictures and share your experience.
People love connecting with people, be a person and stop hiding behind
what you sell.

Know when to turn away business:
seems goofy that you would ever turn away a paying client, but if they
aren’t the right fit, going to cause too much of a headache or it isn’t
the work you love doing, it is ok to turn people away. We give you
permission to say no.

Grow a tribe:
there are strength in numbers and people love being apart of something
bigger than themselves. See how you can start connecting with you
clients or customers on and off line. Grow a community.